This could be seen as a bit of a niche Daily Reminder topic—writing—but I think there's a wider message here.
I'm writing a book at the moment, so I keep Mondays as free as possible for that. (I also dip in at other times.)
And what better way to get my head into it, but to once more read Stephen King's masterful On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.
Although he's a fiction writer and my genre is more along the lines of Personal Development/Self help/Spirituality (I don't choose these headings), there's much to be appreciated from this delightfully lighthearted and insightful text.
(If you write, you should read it, and I'm not even going to add a red flag to that particular ‘should’ 😉)
Anyway, he's talking about the parts of a story, and lists three:
- Narration (moving the story along)
- Description (creating a sensory picture for the reader)
- Dialogue (bringing characters to life)
But it's his reasoning for leaving ‘Plot’ out of that list, that pricked up my ears, because it resonated so strongly with me (and with the Innate Health understanding).
He confesses that he usually doesn't know how any of his stories are going end, or even progress, until he starts writing his initial idea, saying:
“I distrust plot for two reasons: first, because our lives are largely plotless, even when you add in all our reasonable precautions and careful planning…”
Oh lordy me, yes! How the mind likes to think it's in control of our destiny – why should a novel be any different?? He goes on:
“…and second, because I believe that plotting and the spontaneity of real creation aren't compatible. It's best that I be as clear as I can – I want you to understand that my basic belief about the making of stories is that they pretty much make themselves. The job of the writer is to give them a place to grow.”
😮
Real creation ≠ Planning, and books essentially write themselves.
(Definitely an experience I share, writing these Daily Reminders and the Focus Magazine articles that will form the content of my book – I never know where they're going to go!)
Therefore the job of the writer is not to plot it all out meticulously and control its direction; it's to show up, write, and give the stories a space to grow.
(Here it comes…)
Life writes itself. Your job is not to plot it all out meticulously and control its direction; it's to show up, take action, and give your story the space to grow.
💗
Giles
Related
Hodder Paperback
Must-read.
Giles P Croft
Includes more wisdom from Stephen King